Page 51 of Perfectly Perplexing Zombie

Hellfire Rayburn

“Wendall,” I yelled while reaching out to grasp his retreating body. My shoulder ached, but it was already healing. Soon, the mending itch would outweigh the pain.

“Leave him,” Muriel said while holding her arm out as a blockade. I vaguely thought it amusing she assumed such action would truly stop me. There must have been something in my demeanor that clearly conveyed my feelings because Muriel turned the brunt of her attention on me and said, “If you go up there right now, I guarantee you’ll just make it worse. He’s scared.”

“I am well aware,” I gritted. “And being alone right now will only fuel that fear.” I made a move to get past her again.

Muriel either foolishly or bravely placed her body in front of mine.

“Priestess,” I ground out. My internal fire pulsed. Heat surrounded us. The air filled with its precious warmth.

“Ray.” Lucroy’s steady, cool voice sliced through my fire but didn’t bank it. “Innocents are present, including Wendall.”

My eyes slammed closed, and my fingers curved into tight fists. Lucroy was right. If I lost control, I’d likely burn Dusk to the ground, and the slamming of Wendall’s apartment door proved he hadn’t run far.

Pulling on every ounce of practiced control, I managed to bank my flame. With great effort, I asked, “What do you propose, priestess?”

“Give me a few minutes alone with him.” Muriel stepped back, giving me some much-needed breathing room. “It’s my fault.” Her gaze drifted toward the stairs. “I should have thought about Wendall’s needs before placing him under hypnosis.”

“You said it yourself,” Peaches defended Muriel. “You’ve never done something like this with a zombie.”

“He’s right,” Johnny agreed. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

While the faun might be correct, I was hardly in a forgiving mood and maintained my silence.

“It’s not just that,” Muriel said with a heavy sigh. “He’s never known true hunger. I try not to let my zombies get to that point. As you just saw, the consequences can be…dangerous. I make certain they’re fed well, and given the violence we’re surrounded by, that’s not nearly as difficult as it should be. Wendall’s never experienced that level of hunger before. He’s so human-like, it’s easy for us to forget what he truly is. What I turned him into.”

We all knew Muriel regretted turning Wendall into a zombie. The outcome could have been far worse, but she was still smarting over being so thoroughly deceived by his aunt and uncle.

“I’m sorry, Ray,” Muriel said. “I know you want to go and check on him, but I think he needs to hear from me right now. I’ve obviously got a lot more experience with zombies. I need to make him realize that what he just did was beyond his control.”

Her words made an obnoxious amount of sense, and I gave a slight nod of approval.

It was all Muriel needed. She turned from our small group and headed for the stairs.

“I heard him lock the door,” Peaches said. “How is she going to get in?”

“She’s got a key,” Johnny reassured. “We both do.”

“As do I,” Lucroy added. “Given Wendall’s current…condition, we thought it best to have adequate access.”

Johnny grunted and made for the bar. “I don’t know about you lot, but I need a drink.” Waving a hand toward my shoulder, Johnny asked, “You need anything for that? I’m not sure how fast fairies heal.”

“It is already on the mend.” Typically, I would have thanked him for his concern, but I didn’t feel overly magnanimous right now. I itched to follow Muriel up those stairs. I didn’t like remaining where I was. Something inside demanded that Wendall needed me, not the priestess. That wasn’t logical in the least, and I had no idea what to do with this new need.

“That’s fast.” Peaches sounded appropriately impressed. “Lucroy heals quick, and so does Sedrick. Pixies heal faster than humans but not nearly as quickly as them.” Peaches’s nose scrunched in thought. “I’m not sure about warlocks.” He looked to Lucroy. “Vander was under the weather for a while after what happened with Letty Fox.”

“They heal slower than pixies, but if they are gifted enough, they can manipulate magic into healing them faster. Witch magic is better, but warlocks manage.” Lucroy ran his long, slender fingers through Peaches’s hair, and the pixie leaned into the touch.

“I’m glad.” Peaches sounded relieved. “It had to be really hard on Parsnip. It’s always so difficult seeing the ones you love in pain.”

My hearts skipped a beat and stuttered over themselves. Was that why I felt this way? Was I in love with Wendall? I internally scoffed. It was far too soon, and I didn’t feel like I knew Wendall well enough to claim such an emotion. Besides, I wasn’t certain I knew what romantic love felt like. What I could say for certain was that I cared for him, and I didn’t want Wendall in pain. I hated thinking I might be the cause of that pain, even if it had been inadvertently done.

A glass of amber liquid scooted across the counter. “Don’t worry, it’s not that burnt rum shit that Vander likes. This is the straight-up version.” Johnny poured himself a glass and flung the liquid down his throat. I was far less dramatic, but I also enjoyed the burn.

“I…” Peaches stuttered. “I don’t mean to be rude, but have any of you ever seen anything like that before?”

“With a zombie? No,” Lucroy answered. “I have seen many vampires in the throes of blood lust, and it is somewhat similar. The damage I’ve witnessed to the flesh has also been similar. When vampire fledglings are consumed by want, they are not always as delicate in their feeding.”

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